Wolff backs Antonelli after a dramatic 45G crash at Monza, praising the young driver’s astonishing debut.
A crash! Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s debut in Formula 1 Free Practice 1 did not go as planned for Mercedes and the 18-year-old Italian.
Just 10 minutes into the session, the Italian found himself in the tire wall at Parabolica. Team principal Toto Wolff responded to his driver’s accident at Monza during the FIA press conference.
“The most important thing is that he’s okay because the crash was at 45G, so that’s crucial. The second priority is to prepare the car for George. So, the program doesn’t suffer too much, hopefully, it will go better for him. He might be a bit delayed, but it will be alright.”
“And thirdly, yes, it’s unfortunate because I guess with an hour of running, we would have seen some good performances. But that’s what we’ve always said. He’s a rookie, he’s very young. We’re ready to invest in his future. These moments, they will happen and will continue to happen next year.”
It should be noted that Wolff confirmed even before issuing a statement that Antonelli would race next year!
“But there will also be many highlights,” he continued. “What we saw today is that we’re more struggling to slow him down than to speed him up. Because what we saw in a lap and a half is simply astonishing.”
According to Wolff, Antonelli “apologized, first of all. And I think that’s the right thing to do when you bring back a car that looks a bit like a box of Lego falling to the ground.”
“But he also said that with the car, he felt so confident, the car was good. He just got bitten. Everyone suffered from a lot of temperature and especially from the rear tire temperature at the Ascari chicane at that kind of speed. And that’s why the rear gave way.”
Wolff added that a crash during the first free practice session would not influence his decision.
“No, no effect. I think the most important thing is to hire a driver based on capabilities. And a first free practice session gone wrong is not a reason to decide for or against the driver.”
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Wolff: Antonelli’s 45G Monza Crash ‘Stunning’! Wolff: Antonelli’s 45G Monza Crash ‘Stunning’!
